Adjustable cam for time clocks



May 27, 1952 P. FEHR 2,597,928

ADJUSTABLE CAM FOR TIME CLOCKS Filed 001;. 25 1947 gay] figi -uuunuuu INVL'NTDR. Pau) Fehr' LWyM AT ORA/5Y3.

Patented May 27, 1952 ADJUSTABLE CAM FOR TIME CLOCKS Paul Felii', Zug, Switzerland, assignor to Landis & Gyr, A. G., Zug, Switzerland, :1. body 'corporate of Switzerland Application October 25, 1947, Serial No. 782,197 In Switzerland November 13, 1946 1 Claim.

. I This invention relates to time clock recorder mechanisms adapted for registering or checking time Ilp'eriods 'of "factory workmen for example, "and more particularly to new and useful improvements in time drums forming a part of such mechanisms.

The invention has particular reference to a time drum which includes a plurality of riders adapted to correspond to any desired moment of mechanism operation, portions of each rider being arranged in different paths whereby to coact with release devices, in such mechanism, which are adapted to be actuated at different times.

Ina known form of time drum including riders attached thereto, the construction of the riders and the drum .including the manner in which the riders areatt-ached to the drum, is objectionable by reason of the complicated cross-sectional configuration of the drum as well as the complicated construction of the riders whereby manufacturing costs are relatively high and the size of a complete drum unnecessarily large.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing disadvantages are obviated by the provision of an improved time drum wherein the construction of the drum and the riders is such as to provide complementary elements integral therewith whereby upon attachment of the ridersto the drum, the complementary elements are brought into coactable engagement to positively secure each rider against lateral displacement in addition to being frictionally retained against radial displacement.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to l provide an improved time drum construction as specified whereby the overall dimensions thereof may be materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved time drum of the character specified wherein a plurality of riders are secured thereto by thej coactable engagement of complementary elements integral therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved time drum construction of the character specified which is particularly adapted for use as a component part of small time card recording mechanisms of the wall type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved time drum of the character specified wherein any one or more of the riders thereon may be readily altered in accordance with any desired working cycle in a time recording mechanism without removing the drum therefrom or otherwise disturbing the mechanism.

A further'object of the invention 'is to :provide an improved time drum of the character specified which is of simple'construction, compact, inexpensive to manufacture, readily assembled and highly efiicient for the purpose for which it is designed.

With the'above and other objects in view, the

invention resides in the novel construction, and

arrangement of parts, the novel features of which are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objectsand advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a time 'drum and a rider attached thereto as constructed in accordance with a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the drum portion shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view'takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary topplan view of the drum portion shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of one of the riders per se.

Referring to the drawing and to Fig. 1 in particular, a fragmentary portion of a time wheel or drum adapted for use in a conventional time recording or checking mechanism, is indicated at H] with one of a plurality of riders II attached thereto.

In accordance with the invention, the time drum Ill comprises an annular member wherein the peripheral portion or rim I2 is provided centrally thereof with an upstanding, relatively narrow annular flange l3 integral therewith to form a rim of inverted T-shape configuration in cross section.

The drum I0 is further provided with a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced slots M which are cut into and across the flange I3 and partly into the rim I2 for the reception of a rider H in each slot I4 in coactable relation with the spaced portions l5 of the flange l3 defined by the slots I4.

In the preferred form of the invention, each of the riders II comprise an elongated rectangular plate member which is provided along one side margin thereof with a plurality of equally spaced, open ended slots l6 whereby to form a plurality of teeth or finger-like projections l1 integral therewith.

As clearly shown in Fig. 6, each rider II is further provided with a pair of spaced surface elevations or protuberances I8 which are struck out of the plane thereof intermediate its marginal edges, the defining side margins IQ of the protuberances l8 being substantially tapered or inclined with respect to the outer face of each protuberance l8 and the virgin surface of the plate member comprising each rider H.

The time drum I is completed by the insertion of a rider Ii in each of the slots M with a portion l of the slotted flange I3 disposed between the protuberances 18 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The distance between the protuberances I8 is substantially equal to the width of each flange portion 5 to obtain a good frictional fit which is augmented by the additional frictional contact afforded by the wedging action of the side margins 59, of the protuberances 18, on the opposite end faces of the spaced flange portions l5 whereby each rider II is frictionally retained in its correlated slot 14 against radial displacement and positively maintained against lateral displacement relative to the drum.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the top edges of the flange portions l5 are slightly beveled, as at 20, whereby entrance of the spaced flange portions (5 between the protuberances i8 is facilitated.

As thus secured to the periphery of the drum ill, the teeth or projections H formed on each rider II are adapted for individual engagement with a release or trip element, of a known time recording or checking mechanism, positioned in the path thereof as will be understood. If certain of the proiections H are not required in any desired working cycle of the time recording mechanism, one or more of the projections 11 may be rendered inoperative by breaking them ofi at the base of the defining slots IE or otherwise detached from the rider 1 I.

In a modified form of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the rim l2 of the time drum Ill is provided with an annular groove or slot 2! centrally thereof, in lieu of the flange i3, and the grooved rim l2 provided with a plurality of radial, circumferentially spaced slots 22 for the insertion therein of a plurality of riders ll transversely of the rim l2 as in the preferred form of the invention.

In the modified form of the invention, the riders i l' are each provided with a single central protuberance 23 for registration with and insertion into one of the spaced portions 24 of the grooved rim l2, whereby each rider II is similarly' frictionally retained against radial displacement and positively locked against lateral displacement relative to the drum 10.

If desirable, frictional engagement between the slotted flange 13 or slotted grooved rim l2 and the riders l l or I I, may be increased by extending the wedging effect therebetween to the side faces of the flange 13 or groove 2| by forming such surfaces with an additional slight incline or taper whereby to further enhance the frictional retention of each rider in its correlated slot.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a preferred and modified embodiment thereof which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited except as is necessitated by the prior art and the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim is In combination, a time drum having an annular flange integral with its peripheral surface centrally thereof, said flange and part of said peripheral surface being slotted transversely to define radial circumferentially spaced rectangular fins on said drum, and a plurality of plates each including a pair of spaced laterally extending protuberances thereon, struck up from the surface of each plate and, disposed between said fins with said protuberances in frictional engagement with the opposite sides of one adjacent fin whereby said plates are retained on said drum against radial and lateral displacement, said plates each including a plurality of spaced projections along one margin in the plane thereof.

PAUL FEHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in.the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bissell June 27, 1939 

